The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) awarded an International Standard for Business Aircraft Operators (IS-BAO) workshop scholarship to Alison Couch and an International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) workshop scholarship to Ameer Mustafa. The awards were presented during a virtual ceremony hosted by Women in Corporate Aviation.

Couch’s aviation career began as a flight attendant, which enabled her to save money for flight school. She later became a part-time corporate pilot flying a Pilatus PC-12 and also served as a safety manager. Later, she became a first officer for a medevac operator. “Her passion for safety fuels her aspiration for a leadership role in aircraft safety management,” IBAC said.

Mustafa, a Pakistani native, earned a master's of business administration in aviation management and is hoping to expand his knowledge of IS-BAH safety best practices, IBAC said. He has an interest in aircraft dispatch on an international level, as well as enhancing aviation practices in Pakistan, the organization added.

“We congratulate these two workshop scholarship recipients and wish them all the best in their career advancement,” said IS-BAO program director Andrew Karas. “We also want to encourage other aspiring corporate aviation professionals to join WCA and apply for the expanding range of international scholarships available in the future.”